Maniac questionnaire
Name
Maniac #
191
Where do you live?
North Georgia, in the Appalachian foothills. No, I don’t know those guys from “Deliverance”, but I think I saw them at Wal-Mart last week.
How many marathons / ultra marathons
have you run?
4 Marathons. I know, that’s really lame compared to
some of you maniacs, but I’m working on it. If I run a marathon really slow,
does that count as two? I guess not.
What
was the first race you ever ran? (Any distance)
On the aircraft carrier USS America in 1985, when the
ship passed through the Suez Canal they couldn’t have flight operations, so
they held a 10k, running laps around the flight deck. Lots and lots of laps. It
was summer, and in typical military fashion they decided to do this in midafternoon,
when it was about 115 degrees in the blazing sun, and the steel deck was like a
frying pan. Man, it was hot (but it was a dry heat!). Anyway, it felt really
good to have done that.
What was the first
marathon you ever ran? What year did you run it? Did you have fun that day?
San Francisco, this year. It was great! The expo talks
by Sarah Rienertsen and Dean Karnazes really started things off. The smell of sourdough (and of dead skunk),
running with Sarah briefly, crossing the bridge in the fog with the foghorn
blasting, the Bison in the mist in Golden Gate Park, chocolate-covered grapes
at mile 18, Haight-Ashbury, and the Ballpark and the Bay Bridge at the finish
all made it memorable. Despite my meager ration of half a banana at the finish,
I had a great time. I remember seeing
some Maniac singlets and wondering, “what’s that all about?”
How long have you been a runner and
why did you start running?
I started
running in high school (that was a long time ago), inspired by the likes of
Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Rosie Ruiz (just kidding) and Dave Wottle
(remember the hat?). I’ve been running, off and on, for all that time since,
and have run a lot of shorter races, 10K’s and half-marathons, but never stayed
motivated and injury-free long enough to do the marathon until this year. I
really wasn’t sure that I ever would. I think Glucosamine/chondroitin is a
wonder drug, somebody should get the Nobel Prize for that.
Why did you decide to become a
Maniac? Or what inspired you?
After my
first marathon I wanted to do another but dreaded the thought of going through
the whole 4-week recovery and 18-week prep program recommended in the
magazines. So, being basically lazy, I
figured that since I was already in marathon shape I’d just just skip the whole
recovery/prep cycle, and run about a marathon per month. After my next marathon
I set a PR in a 10k a week later (at age 46) and realized that this regimen
could work. Then I found the Maniac website, and discovered that there are
people out there who did what I was thinking of doing, only much more so. When
I noticed the Prez in my San Francisco finish line photo, I figured it had to
be a SIGN! So as soon as I qualified for membership, and with encouragement
from my wife (who runs mostly half-marathons), I joined, and promptly signed up
for three more marathons. So the short answer would be that the Maniacs show me
what’s possible, and give me something to shoot for.
Of all the races out
there in this world, which one would you most like to run?
Boston. As time goes on, my marathon times decrease,
and the qualifying times for my age group increase. Hopefully, someday the two
will meet!
If you could run a
marathon / ultra accompanied by anyone either living or deceased, who would you
choose and why?
Phidippides, on his run from Marathon to Athens (this is a hypothetical question, after all). According to some historical accounts, he ran 140 miles to Sparta in 48 hours to ask for help, then returned the 140 miles to Marathon where the famous battle was fought. He then fought in the Battle of Marathon, and after the Athenians had won, ran the 25 miles to Athens (the basis of the modern race), announced the victory, then collapsed and died of exhaustion, never knowing what he had inspired. I’d tell him. Of course, I’d need to learn to speak Greek. I’d give him some e-gel, too, and maybe he’d survive the run.
What was your most memorable marathon
and why?
From my vast repertoire of 4, I would have to pick San
Francisco, my first marathon, through my favorite city, but they all have been
memorable in their own way.
If someone asked you
to pick a race for him or her that they could run a PR at, which race would you
suggest?
Too soon to say, but Chickamauga Battlefield is pretty
fast, and not a lot of runners to get in your way. Tupelo is fast but it can be
warm some years. I’ve never run Tucson but I grew up there and want to, and I
hear it’s very quick.
What was the furthest you’ve ever
traveled for a race?
San Francisco, so far, but I’m planning on Honolulu in
December.
Do any of your
non-running friends or family members think that you’re crazy for running as
much as you do? What are some of their comments to you?
They don’t say anything, they just shake their heads
and go back to eating their crème brulees.
If personal
obligations or finances were not an issue, how many marathons would you run in
one year?
A couple dozen, in different states or countries.
From what race did you receive your
favorite finishers medal?
San Francisco is big, and Tupelo’s skull and
crossbones is unique.
Where do you keep your finisher
medals?
Hanging on a post on a balcony railing, but I only
have four so they don’t take up a lot of room.
Do you wear your race t-shirts? What do you
do with the ones you don’t wear?
Yeah, I wear them, especially the longsleeves, they’re
great conversation starters with fellow runners.
If you could put on
a marathon anywhere in the world, where would you have it?
Probably Scotland. That brings up the Loch Ness
Marathon, which is one I hope to run someday, I’m guessing that’s a pretty cool
T-shirt. Or else Stockholm, I ran the “Midnight Run” 10k there a couple of
years ago and it was just incredible, at 11p.m. the whole course was just
packed with cheering, screaming spectators, even little kids. I’ll always
remember that.
Maniac Yellow, or Maniac Black?
I’d usually say black, but for a Maniac singlet,
definitely yellow. If Maniac cool-weather gear becomes available, I might
prefer black.
What is your favorite pre race meal?
Post race meal?
Pre-race, pasta or pizza. Post-race, Cheeseburger,
fries and beer. Mmmmmmmm...beer.
What is your energy gel of choice?
Sport drink of choice?
e-gel, for the electrolytes, but as I discovered
recently, don’t consume the pack all at once, it’s too much. Ecchhh. Sport
drink, whatever’s at the aid station.
What was the most
challenging race or combination of races you’ve ever done and why?
Too soon to say.
Which race would you never run again
and why?
None, but I injured my leg running Chickamauga and I
couldn’t run the next marathon I had planned on, that was very frustrating.
What is a typical
training week like for you? How many miles do you run? Any cross training?
At this point I do hard/easy weeks, and don’t usually
run two days in a row, my legs just can’t take that abuse yet, so Quadzilla is
not in my immediate future. My “hard” weeks include a long run of 20-24 miles,
and the weekly totals are about 35-40 miles. The easy weeks are about 20-25. If
I want to BQ those mileages will need to increase, with more pace runs. I do a
little weight training but not consistently. It’s very hilly where I live,
which helps with training.
Do you have a training partner? If
so, who is it?
Other than my wife Karen, who will run Honolulu with
me, it would be Laika, my Doberman, who runs like a greyhound and will tow me
up the hills if I let her. Unfortunately she had major surgery recently and we
almost lost her. She’ll be out of commision for awhile and meanwhile it’s my
other Dobie Sammy, a big male, who “runs” kind of like one of those Imperial
Walkers from “Empire Strikes Back”, and looks kind of like Jar Jar Binks.
Sammy (left)
What kind of shoes do you train in?
Do you race in a different shoe?
I wear Asics 2090/2100, or Gel-Evolutions for the long
runs. I need all the support I can get, I’m a severe overpronator.
What are your short-term running
goals?
3 in a month, 6 states in 6 months. 13 states in a
year, staying injury-free. After hurting my leg at Chickamauga, it’ll take a
little longer than I’d hoped. Doh!
What are your long-term running
goals?
Boston. An ultra, preferably a 50k trail run. Any
suggestions? I need to build my mileage so that I can recover more quickly from
my races and work my way up the Maniac heirarchy.
Assuming you have
time, what do you do for fun other than run marathons?
Photography.
Star Wars or Star Trek? Darth Vader
or Captain Kirk?
2001: A Space Odyssey, and Hal. GEEK!
Mary Ann.
Boxers.
Paper.
White meat.
Red Sox.
What else?
Just trying to anticipate the questions!